Paintings

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Pattern Camp

Tossed Repeat on a Grid

This past weekend I went to Jessica Swift's "Pattern Camp." Luckily I didn't have to "go" anywhere but to my computer in my studio since I am still recovering from my illness.

If you are into pattern design and you want to know everything there is to know about designing patterns, than Pattern Camp is for you. It is only two days long but every minute is packed full with lessons and ideas. I love the way you get to watch Jessica actually design on the computer as she shares her screen with you.

I really had no idea that there were so many ways to vary your pattern designs. I especially never knew how to do a half drop repeat in Illustrator. Now I know how to do that as well as many other varieties of repeats. The above design is a tossed repeat based on a grid. I really like the way it came out! I had been hanging on to those weird shapes for a while and never knew what to do with them since they are all a little bit different. The grid design was perfect for them.

The following design is based on the half drop repeat. I still haven't tried the brick repeat since it is similar to the half drop but in a horizontal direction rather than a vertical one.

Paisley Design

One thing I have noticed is that my colors are much brighter when I work
digitally than when I work with actual paint. I am enjoying the colors
and the color mixing.

The key now is to keep practicing my newly learned skills so that they become second nature and I can improve with each design. I am still taking Laura Coyle's Illustrator classes as well and that is really helping me supplement my pattern design classes with actual hands on illustrator classes.

digital images are brighter because theY are lit from behind. Paint on a flat surface doesn't get that benefit. That's why the photos I see on my phone looks so much better than when I print them out, even on good paper.

Just catching around the traps Roberta - sorry to learn you've been so ill! Hopefully strength and energy are returning little bit by little bit. I do love Tossed I must say - the colours and the images both.

Artist Statement

For most of my life I have been a painter. I have worked in pen and ink, watercolors, gouache, oils and acrylics. I have always painted the world around me in all its true splendor. For many years I lived in the tropics and painted the lush plant life that surrounded me. When I left the tropics and moved out into the country I painted landscapes of the local farms and my wonderful vegetable garden. Now that I am living in the Sonoran desert, I am influenced by the very unique and wonderful looking cactus and flowers I see on my walks.

Thank you for looking at my work and please get in touch if you would like to purchase something.